The Louisville Cardinals have visited multiple 5-star recruits in the class of 2026 this offseason, as Pat Kelsey and his assistant coach, Jermaine Ukaegbu, are working overtime to secure numerous 5-star commitments. Louisville has recently visited 5-star forward Ikenna Alozie and the 5-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr. The Cards' are also the favorite to land the No. 1 player in the nation, Tyran Stokes.
Stokes is the consensus best player in the class of 2026, but Louisville lost a lot of ground after the 5-star visited the Kansas Jayhawks. Since the visit, Kelsey and Ukaegbu have upped their recruiting to either try to earn Stokes' commitment or to have a solid backup plan.
It was reported yesterday that the Cardinals have visited and are in contact with Jalen Montonati, the two-time Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year and 5-star recruit.
Related: 2026 No. 1 prospect, Tyran Stokes, trending towards Louisville basketball
Louisville basketball in contact with game-changing 5-star forward
The Cardinals are in a heated early battle for the 5-star prospect. Louisville is one of five schools that visited Montonati and one of eight schools in contact with him. According to ESPN, the 6-foot-7 forward is the No. 14 prospect in the class, the fifth-best forward, and the best player from Oklahoma.
Louisville is in a fierce battle for this elite recruit, as Alabama, BYU, Houston, Kansas, Tennessee, and others have already made offers. The other teams that visited the 5-star recruit are Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, SMU, and Kansas State.
He has over 19 offers, making him a top target in the class of 2026. The Oklahoma native attends Owasso High School, averaging 22.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game in his junior season.
Related: Louisville basketball making a strong push for 2026 5-star PG
The Cards' have made over 23 offers to the class of 2026, but are still seeking their first commitment. Louisville has been attacking 5-stars left and right in the class, as Kelsey has made it clear that he is becoming one of the best recruiters in the nation. The Cardinals are quickly becoming one of the top landing spots for these superstar high school players, as Louisville's 2025 5-star commit, Mikel Brown Jr., is the second-highest commit in program history.
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's recruiting, stay tuned.